Hotel President
The Hotel President, formerly the President Hotel, is a historic hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It is now operated as the Hilton President Kansas City by Jury Hotel Group of Overland Park Kansas, and is located at 1327-35 Baltimore Avenue.
President Hotel | |
.jpg) Hilton President Kansas City in April 2011 | |
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| Location | 1327-1335 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39.097778°N 94.584167°W |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Shepard & Wiser; Siedhoff, George |
| MPS | Hotels in Downtown Kansas City TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001016[1] |
| Added to NRHP | August 08, 1983 |
History
The President Hotel was built and completed in 1926 by Niagara Falls businessman Frank A. Dudley and operated by the United Hotels Company.[2] The hotel was built in a construction boom that also saw the erection of the nearby Mainstreet Theater, Midland Theatre, and Kansas City Power and Light Building.
At the beginning of 1935 a man, using an assumed name at the time but later identified as Artemus Ogletree, was found severely assaulted in room 1046 after a two-day stay marked by odd behavior and interactions with a mysterious "Don"; he later died in the hospital. The case remains unsolved.[3]
The hotel closed its doors in 1980. It later underwent a $45.5 million restoration by developer Ron Jury and reopened in 2005 as the Hilton President Kansas City. The hotel is managed by Jury Hotel Group of Overland Park, Kansas. The hotel’s General Manager is Philip Strnad.
Additional renovations were completed in 2017. These renovations included all guest rooms and meeting rooms. The acclaimed Presidential Suite, and Reagan suites were renovated in 2019.
The President Hotel is the only hotel located in the Power and Light District. Additionally, the President has been awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond rating for 11 years running.
The President is a franchise hotel of Hilton Hotels of Bethesda, Maryland.
The Hotel President was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1][4]
Significance
In 1928, it was the headquarters for the 1928 Republican National Convention, which nominated Herbert Hoover for President. The hotel's Drum Room lounge attracted entertainers from across the country, including Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman and Marilyn Maye.
References
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- "Receivers Name for Hotel Firm" (PDF). The New York Times. November 18, 1933. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- Silvey, Jennifer (November 20, 2019). "Unsolved murder in 1935: An unusual guest at a KC hotel leaves behind blood, questions". WDAF-TV. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
- Ellen J. Uguccioni and Sherry Piland (May 12, 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Hotels in Downtown Kansas City". National Park Service. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
External links
